Apparatus for burning gas



March 3, 1931. c. J. SCHIFFERLE 1,794,868

APPARATUS FOR BURNING GAS Filed July 11, 1950 1 2 fig z 36 "1' E L" .J

amass J." 5CH/FFEEZE IBY'MJ HA9 ATTORNEY INVENTOR Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED "STA TE ENT CFF E CHARLES 'J; SCHIFEEBIlEi or oaKLANnoALIFoRnIn, AssIGNORTo HARBY a. s'rnu'rnnns, or IBEBKELEYQCALIEOBNIA l APPARATUS FOR B RNING GAS f f Application filed July 11,

My invention relates to anapparatus for preparing a gas for vburning, and particu-l larly to such an apparatus for effecting the proper combustion of natural gas.

It is among the objects of myinvention to provide an apparatus whereby the same burningcondit'ions are, securedwith the use of natural gas as obtain in the burning of artificialpor producer gas. 1 Further objects of myinvention include the provision of an apparatus for'preparing natural gas for burning which permits combustion to take place within the range of most eficient 'burning oand with a flame which is readily localized and concentrated;

The invention possesses numerous other objects and features-ofadvantage, some of 'which,-with the foregoing, willbe' set forth in the following description of my. invention.

. 29 It is to be understood that I do not limit my self to this disclosureof species of-my invention, as I may; adopt yariant embodiments thereof within the scope. of theolaims.

Referring to the drawings: v

-, Figure lis a plan view showing a-gas V burning apparatus embodying myv invention used in conjunction with a standard artificial gasburnen; n v I V Figure 2 is a, similar view showing a modification of my invention; portions of the expansionchamber are'broken away to disclose the construction. a I

Figure 3 is a side view, partly in section and partly inelevation, showing an expansion and 5 heaterv chamber used in conjunction with a standard artificialgas burner. for stoves, and illustrates another embodiment of myfinven- Figure 4 is a vertical sectional" view show- 0 ing'an expansion andheater chamber formed integral with a furnace door and used in conjunctionwith a standardburner; this illustrationbeing another modification of my in-, venti0n; and i T ,Figure 5 isa front elevation of thefurnace door shown in- Figure 4. p a V Inmany localities, andl'particularly on-the Pacific coast in the United States, the arti-' ficial or producer gas which has' been in com men use isbeing'replaced with natural gas.

to utilize the burners which had beenused in 1930. Serial no. 467,172.

However, since the ignition temperature of naturalcgas is higherthan that of artificial gas, and the heat value of natural gas is substantially twice that of anequivalent amount of artificial gasi under. the same conditions, any attempts made to burn the natural gas in the standard types of burners whichhadf given efficient results with artificial gas met?- with serious. difficulties. v

Chief among these diflicultieswas dueto the fact that, in order to secure-substantially the same flame temperature as obtained with. the artificial gas, the gas orifice of the burner. had to be reduced approximately one-half in size. This led to almost endless trouble, be-. cause the small burner orifice continually be came clogged with-accumulations offforeign matter carried by the;flowinggas. i

Another difli'culty presented itself in consequence of' the higher ignition temperature of the'natural gas; and this factor, together; with the inability of the burners to supply sufiicient air to the} gas, lead to incomplete combustion. I J v Still another difliculty arosebecause the heat value of the natural gas approximated 1100 B. t. u. per cubic foot. Since the upper limit for efficient burning'is around 700 B. t. u; per cubic foot, the combustion of the natural gas was highly in'efiicient. i I The broad ob 'ect of my invention is to prov de an apparatus for overcoming these difiicult es, and at the same time make it "possible 7 conjunction with theartificialgas. 1 In terms of broad-inclusion, the apparatus embodying my invention includes ,a gasburner, which'may be a standard type of burner designed'for use with artificialgas.v Means are provided for supplyinga gas to; the burner, and means are provided for expanding the I gas priorto-its introduction. into the burner. This expansion increasesthevolume and reduces the density ofthe "gas, and'itjis pre ferredto increase the volume unti'l'the heat i value per cubic foot has been reduced'to' accordwith the best practice for efficient: burning; 'viz.,'belowr700.B.- t; u per cubic-foot. It is also preferred to heat theigas, prefer:

ably simultaneously with the expansion, to maintain the gas pressure.

In greater detail, the apparatus embodying my invention includes the use of a simple standard type burner 2 provided with the air supply pipe being controlled bya suitable valve 7 V V V In an attempt to burn natural gas in a simple burner of this sort, by feeding the gas directly to the burner, very poor and ine'ificient results obtain due to the high ignition temperature and heat value of the natural gas;

To overcome this, means are provided for expanding the gas prior to its introduction into the burner. Thismay conveniently be efiected byarranging the supply pipe 6 so that a portion of it is heated by the burner flame.

By heating the gas prior to its introductioninto' theburner, the gas iscausedto expand. This expansion increases the'volume and reduces the density of gas; As a result of the increase in volume, the heat value per cubi'c'i'oot isreduced to within the range of most efficient burner; viz., below 700 B. t. u. per cubicfoot Furthermore, the decrease in density permits air to readily mix with the gas asit discharges in the burner, and suiticient amounts of the air are entrained to permit a complete burning of the gas. I Not only is complete combustion effected, but also, dueto the rapid intermixture of gas and air, immediate ignition is brought about. Under these conditions, the flame is readily localized and concentrated, insuring a burning zone which precludesthe escape of unburned portions of the gas to such areas where the mixture and temperature conditions interfere with ignition and combustion. j It may be preferable to increase the volume of the gas without materially changing its pressure: To accomplish this, an assemblysimilar to that shown in Figure 2 may be used.

'In'thiscase, anannular expansion chamber 8,. surroundlng the burner 2 and nterposed 111' the. supply pipe 6, is provided. As the gas, under a given pressure, enters thechamber 8 it expands. This expansion increases the volume and reduces the density, but also operates to reduce. the gas pressure. However, the gas in the chamber is heated simultaneous- 7 1y with its expansion, dueto the position of the burner 2. As a resultof this heating,

the'pressure of'the expanded gas is increased until it approaches the original value.

I Figure 3 shows another embodiment of my invention used incombination with a standard type ofstove burner 9; and this burner may conveniently be one previously used in conjunction with artificial gas. A tubular expansion chamber 11 is arranged adjacent the burner 9, so that portionsof it are heated by the burner flame.

A; gas-supply. pipe 12, connected to a gas main 13 through a suitable valve l his sealed in one end'of the tube 11 and projects-into the expansion chamber. The pipe 12 is positioned to; discharge into the expansion chamber adjacent its heated portions, so that the gas will besimult'aneously heated and expanded. The expanded gases are conveyed to theburner 9 bya suitable duct 16 leading from the expansion chamber and opening into theburner; The tube 1'1 slopes downwardly-slightly towards its heated portions,- and 'anycondensation of the gas in the expansion'chamber tends to run down to a point where it will be evaporated.

Another" embodiment of my invention is shown in Figures '& and 5. This arrangement is particularly advantageous in furnaces. A

hollow door '17, providing an expansion chamber, is mounted on the side of a fire box 18 with suitable hinges 19. The door is providedwith a central aperture 21, having an ordinary burner '2 projecting therethrough.

A duct 22 is mounted'on the outside of the door, andconnects theexpansion chamber of the door 17 with the burner2L Means are provided for introducing a gas. into the expansion chamber ofthe door. A gas supply pipe 23 is positioned in axial alignment with; the door hinges '19, and is provided with a curved portion 24 opening into the-expansion chamber. A control valve 26 is inserted in" the supply pipe 23, and a rotary coupling 27, is provided so that; the door 17 may pivot on its hinges.

The apparatus embodying my invention has many applications, but it is particularly useful in localities where artificial or producer gas isxbe'ingre'placed by natural gas, because the new gas can be made to burn eificientlyand economically in the previously used burners. The same burning conditions may be approached as hadbeen obtained in the use of artificial gas, without having to reduce the gas discharge orifice in the burner. A flame is provided which is readily locala i'zed and concentrated, and immediate ignition followed .by complete, combustion is insuredh' Iclaim:- V j 1. In an apparatus for burning gas, a burner, an expansion chamber adjacent the burner andarranged so that portions of it are heated by the burner flame, agas supply pipe 2. In an apparatus 'forburning gas, a

burner, an' expansion chamber comprising a closed tube arranged so that its forward end projects into the burner flame, a gas supply pipe sealed in the rear end of said tube and projecting into,v the tube to discharge at a point adjacent its heated end, and a duct leading from the rear end of the tube and open ing into the burner.

3.111 an apparatus for burning gas, a burner, an expansion chamber adjacent the burner and arranged so that portions of it are heated by the burner flame, a gas supply pipe opening into the expansion chamber and positioned to discharge at a point adjacent its heated portions, and a duct leading from the chamber and opening into the burner.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. 7 CHARLES J .7 SCHIFFERLE. 

